21 Questions
by ForeverBughead
Summary: Every question is a chance to know the other better. They only had 21 questions and both knew they had to choose it wisely. Let the games begin. (May or may not conform to the events in the series)
1. Chapter 1

This is my first time to write a Bughead fic so I hope you bear with me. I don't own any character or place unless otherwise specified.

The bell to Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe rang as the door opened. Only a few people could be found sitting at the local town favorite as most were enjoying Riverdale High's homecoming dance. For the selected few who had opted not to join the overrated festivities, the confines of the four walls of the shop brought an unusual sense of comfort.

A girl with blonde hair and in a pink dress walked straight inside into a booth at the far corner. She placed her usual order of Strawberry Milkshake but this time with extra whip cream. It was a special occasion to indulge in the calories after all. A few minutes later, a tall glass of sugary and sinful beverage was placed in front of her.

She sighed in resignation before reaching for her picker upper. Her tongue was ready to taste the mouth watering goodness when the tall glass was pulled far from her reach and in front of a crouching boy who wore a crown shaped beanie on top of his messy bed of hair. Her mouth dropped and stayed open for a few minutes, staring at he boy who drank her most awaited shake down to the last drop. She was at a loss for words. She wanted to shout at the boy who selfishly stole her last hope for a better night but no words came.

As if nothing happened, he adjusted in his seat and fired his laptop open and began typing, totally oblivious to the growing anger building in the blonde girl's chest. A few minutes of silence passed and he still hadn't looked at her once to apologize or explain his actions. He kept typing as if she wasn't in front of him with an angry glare in her eye.

She cleared her throat, finally finding a small amount of sound come out of her mouth, but his attention to whatever he was typing did not falter. She cleared it again, this time ensuring that it was loud enough for him to hear and respond to. His eyes broke it's connection from the laptop screen and the blue ocean met green forest. She felt a hitch in her breath at the sudden connection. The intensity of his stare brought chills to her spine and she almost felt bad for disturbing his concentration. She almost apologized had it been not for her realization that she wouldn't have bothered him if he hadn't stolen her favorite drink. He raised an eyebrow and a playful smirk appeared on his face. Had it been another time, she would be game to play their little debate just like the old times but now all she could do was sigh in defeat.

"I'm not in the mood Juggie." She finally said after their long staring game. He shrugged and closed the lid of his laptop. He waved his hand at Pops to which he was answered with a nod, a fair and mutual exchange between regulars.

"So tell me, what did our beloved Archiekins do this time?" He said while leaning on the table.

"What makes you think it's Archie?" Betty countered, hoping for even 1% chance that not everyone knows about what she felt for Archie. Well except for Archie himself.

"Come on Betts, don't insult my knowledge. You practically loved him since childhood. Your eyes yearns for him whenever he's not around and if I didn't know any better, you have a magnet in your body that's being pulled towards him." He said rolling his eyes.

She chewed on her lip in anxiety. Was she really that obvious? "What makes you think he did something then?" She challenged, trying my best from delaying the admission of what had transpired tonight at the Homecoming after party at Cheryl's.

"Let's see. You're wearing a dress that's screaming Homecoming dance so that means you attended the overrated dance which is "the highlight of everyone's high school life"." He made quotation gestures with his fingers as he said the last bit.

"However, instead of wasting the night with the boy of your dreams doing God knows what, you're sitting here at Pops and having a conversation with me, the last person on your "potential dating list" - if Included at all and the person you haven't talked to since summer started."

Betty opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. She tried to process his words but found herself at a loss. She felt bad at his last statement since it was true that she hadn't had a decent conversation with her reserved friend since before freshman year ended. It wasn't that she hadn't tried.

During her internship, she attempted several times to contact Jughead to check on him but it was either ignored or responded with one word texts that screamed end of conversation. She thought he was going through something at the moment and didn't want to push him so she gave him some space to breathe and hoped that when she returned they would fall into their normal routine and become the best of friends again. Except, everything had turned out worse.

"So it's either you just want to remember your Homecoming dance spending time at Pops and eating - drinking rather, Strawberry Milkshakes or Archie did a stupid move and hurt you." The blonde girl sighed and looked at her lap in embarrassment. Had she been so transparent?

"Well, the milkshake is already a no considering you drank all of mine." She said softly while lowering down her head.

"Here you go." Two plates of burger and fries and a tall glass of chocolate milkshake appeared in front of them. Jughead gave a quick nod to Pops before digging in his favorite food.

Betty was surprised when the extra plate was pushed in front of her. She really wasn't up for eating thus the reason for her milkshake order.

"You have to eat Betts, last time you drank a milkshake on an empty stomach, you were brought to the hospital." He said before indulging in his burger.

She felt warmth in her chest realizing that Jughead was just looking out for her when he drank her favorite treat. She pushed the nagging thought at the back of her head as she already felt bad enough tonight and she really needed a break from all the negativity.

"If it makes you feel better, I'll buy you a new one if you promise to finish the burger or the fries." He said taking a last chomp on his burger and now turning his attention to the side snack.

Betty smiled weakly and started munching on the fries. The burger was really too much for her appetite.

"So do we play 21 questions or am I gonna wait for you to open up?" He said.

She was surprised at his proposition and thought very carefully on what to do next. If she opened up to him easily, she won't get a chance to ask him things that had been nagging at her since summer started. She saw the opportunity of finding out what truly happened between her two best friends and was determined to get it out from her dark haired companion.

She gave him a look and was about to open her mouth in response when he beat her right to it. "Right 21 questions it is."

Betty was surprised at how easily Jughead could read her mind and how much he knows about the way her mind works. She would've blamed it on being best friends since childhood but she could recall Jughead being a bit shy around her until 3rd grade. If it hadn't been for Archie's failed attempt at getting his two best friends to like each other, they wouldn't have gone past the acquaintance stage. But that's a story for another time.

"Okay Juggie let's play. But the rule is, we get to ask each other one question each-" she started

"Well that is the point of the game-" he cut her off.

"-each day." She finished. He couldn't hide the surprise look on his face when what she said had registered in his mind.

"Excuse me? Are you saying what I think you're saying?" He had his hopes that he understood her perfectly well but he just had to get confirmation from the girl next door.

"Well, we need it Juggie. After weeks of ignoring my texts and phone calls, I figured, this is our only way of catching up. So, are you up for it? 21 days of being stuck with my probing questions?" He was surprised to see a smile on her lips. She had a playful glint in her eye that almost made him spill everything to her before he caught himself.

"Fine. But we each get a free pass for those questions that we really don't want to answer." She nodded at the additional rules he made.

"Okay I agree. We can't say no when the other triggers for the 21 questions. Like when we're at school and I feel like asking you, you have to answer. Got it?" He pondered for a while before agreeing to my terms.

"Fine but the 21 days doesn't have to be done straight. We can take breaks every now and then. Deal?"

She looked hesitant, as if he found a loophole to her strategy of opening up to her. But she resolved in her head that she just had to really think about her questions to get the most out of their game. Make it seem like he had to use the free pass to every question then go for home run.

"Also, whatever is shared here will not be disclosed to anyone else. Okay?" She added which gained a smirk from the boy.

"I get it Betts. And it's not as if I have someone to tell." He said rolling his eyes.

Betty felt a tug at her heart when she realized that Jughead had no one. As in no one. He used to have them - Betty and Archie - but then when he and Archie had a fall out and he started ignoring her, he wasn't left with anyone else. She felt guilty for not trying harder to make him talk to her. She felt that she failed her obligation of binding the two friends. She regretted going to her internship

And leaving the two boys to themselves. The wave of emotions that passed through her was so overwhelming that she started to feel her nails digging at her palms.

A pair of warm hands covered her hands and pried it open. She was surprised at the look of worry that was evident on his face. "Hey. It wasn't your fault Betts. Don't be too hard on yourself."

She opened her mouth to say something but decided against it. She would just reserve whatever it was for their 21 days of questioning. She nodded, squeezed his hand before pulling away.

"So." He started breaking off the awkward air that had build up. "Is it a deal then?"

"Deal. Let's flip on who goes first." She pulled out a coin in her pink purse and placed it on her two fingers, ready to flip.

Jughead gave a small nod signaling her to do it. She flicked her fingers.

"Heads." He called while the coin was up in the air.

"Tails." She responded before catching the coin and putting it down on the table. They stared at each other for a while, hearts beating at top speed. They were anxious on who's going to ask the questions first and what questions were in store for them.

Breaking off the connection, they both turned their attention to the coin which displayed tails. A triumphant smile played on Betty's features and Jughead couldn't help but laugh. It looked like she just won the lottery.

"Hmmm what to ask.." she said in deep thought. Jughead had hoped that she wouldn't ask about his family. It was way too personal for a first question and he knew he might use his pass if that were the case. He wasn't ready to open that can of worms yet and drag her into his messed up life.

"Okay, here's an easy one. Why did you ignore my texts and calls this summer?" She said, her eyes had lost its playful glint and was replaced by a piercing gaze. One that could devour a lie that he was planning on saying so Jughead opted with the truth.

"Archie and I kind of gotten out of track this summer. I'm not sure if he mentioned that to you. So I thought, I didn't want to burden you with the choice of who you were going to remain friends with. I was just looking out for you Betts."

She felt anger bubble in her chest. She wanted to tell him off for doing something that "he thought was best for her" just like what her parents were doing to her and Polly. She was so through with people deciding what's good for her and what's not. It's as if they think that she cannot decide on it for herself.

She was about to tell him off when he continued talking. "And I kind of wanted to protect myself from the pain of not being chosen. I didn't want to get mad at you or anything so I just decided to cut things off for us. That way, I would be the bad guy and not you."

Her anger melted away and was replaced with remorse. Who would've known that Jughead felt this way about their friendship? That he thought she would instantly drop him if he and Archie had a fall out. She felt bad for making it seem that Archie would always be her first choice and that Jughead would always end up on his own.

She reached her hand out to his and gave it a squeeze. "I'm so sorry Juggie if I made it seem like I would leave you anytime. I swear, that wouldn't have been the case. You know I care about you. I wish you would've talked to me about it." She babbled, feeling the build up of tears in her eyes.

"Hey. It was my decision Betty. This is exactly why I decided it on my own. I didn't want to trouble you with that choice. I didn't want you to lose sleep on it. I didn't want you to make a decision that would make you doubt yourself or make you regret something. I'm okay with that Betty and I don't blame you for it. Not even a little."

She wiped her eyes with the tissue that he offered and nodded. "But that's gonna change now Juggie. Promise me you'll answer my calls and texts from now on. I can manage being your friend you know. Just because you and Archie had a misunderstanding, doesn't mean I'll stop being your friend."

He hesitated. He wanted so much to talk to Betty again but was afraid to be vulnerable and get hurt. He knew it was a fact that Archie and Betty would end up together and he wasn't sure if he wanted to stay and see it happen right before his eyes. For the most part, he wanted to spare himself of the pain of having to deal with Betty with someone else.

He knew he couldn't deny it. He knew that the girl next door has a special place in his heart and no matter how hard he tried to deny or forget about it, it would always creep up on him at the end of the day. He was far too reeled in to escape the feelings he had for his best friend Betty Cooper.

At first he thought it was just a passing crush. He blamed the lack of female companions for his growing feelings towards the blonde girl. But when a girl had liked him and tried to make a move that didn't end well, he knew that the lack of a female friend was definitely not the reason for it. As they grew older and as Betty had developed into a more mature, compassionate and beautiful girl, he couldn't help but like her more than how best friends should like each other.

Betty was not the prettiest girl in Riverdale High. Well at least, that was what the school has declared. That title, for some odd reason Jughead couldn't comprehend, belonged to Cheryl Blossom. She wouldn't even pass as the smartest given that the holder for that one was Ethel Muggs. Not even the most talented as this was held by Josie McCoy. Betty was among those who were ranked in the middle. The average girls who occasionally got a second look from guys.

But for Jughead, Betty Cooper sure was something and it was beyond reason how other guys couldn't see it. Especially their redhead friend Archie Andrews. He doesn't understand how Archie can appreciate so many girls in their school and yet he couldn't cast a glance at what he already has - the most perfect girl there is.

"Earth to Juggie?" Jughead snapped out of his thought and landed back at Pop's.

"Of course. I'll keep that in mind." He said, not wanting to discuss further how Betty would always be there. He knew if they dwell on their topic more, he might say things he would regret.

"Okay, your turn. Ask away." She said sitting properly, back straight, chin up with her hands folded in front of her. It was almost as he she was prepping for an interview question.

Jughead breathed in and out before firing away. "What happened tonight with Archie?"

Betty knew he would ask it. She knew and tried to prepare herself for it but no amount of preparation could help her when he finally uttered the question.

See, answering the question would make what happened between her and Archie real. Inasmuch as she wants to forget what he said and return to the happy bubble they used to call friendship, Betty knew that things would change from now on. That Archie would no longer be her comfort place but someone who would remind her of rejection and disappointment. Answering Jughead's question would only mean that they can never go back and pretend everything was okay.

But Betty knew this couldn't have been the worst question she would face. She knew that she shouldn't waste a pass for this since by tomorrow, everyone would know about what had happened at Cheryl's anyway.

"I told Archie my feelings tonight.." she started slowly. A lump forming in her throat suggested that she was about to cry again. "And he made it clear that we're not on the same page about it."

"Betty I'm.." he started but she held a hand to stop him. She wanted to get everything out of her system first.

"After the homecoming, we went to Cheryl's after party. I just wanted to forget about the rejection so I thought maybe spending more time with him at the after party would make him change his mind and see me like how I see him." She said recounting what had happened earlier.

"So Cheryl, being Cheryl, thought it would be fun to have a 7 minutes in heaven game starting with Archie. She let the bottle spin and it stopped in between me and Veronica. But she made the call of saying it pointed to Veronica. I swear that girl will be the death of me." She sighed. Jughead could feel how it was getting harder for her to talk and wanted to stop her but then again, he knew letting it out would keep her from digging her nails in her palms.

"I knew it was impossible that nothing would happen to them. The way Archie stared at her when we first saw her here at Pop's was everything I needed to see to know he's attracted to her. It didn't help that outside the closet, Cheryl and Reggie kept thinking up of stories of what was happening inside. After that I couldn't take it anymore. I got up and left and went here." She finished and finally looked at Jughead's face.

His face was scrunched up in thought at what Betty had shared with him. First of all, he really thought that his ex-best friend was stupid beyond his understanding. How could he prefer a new girl over the girl who was always there for him? Second, they could give the guy the benefit of the doubt but then again Jughead thought this was Archie Andrews. He may care a lot for Betty but Jughead doubted that he would pass up on the opportunity to kiss a girl he found attractive. No offense to his ex-best friend but that was the truth.

"I'm sorry Betts." Jughead, despite being the eloquent aspiring novelist that he is, couldn't find the best words to comfort his friend. If this had been Archie, he could've said a list of things for making Betty feel that way. But this was different. He was walking on eggshells with her. He didn't want to hurt Betty anymore than she already is.

"Why are you apologizing Juggie? It's not your fault." She said before giving a small smile and squeezing his hand.

She was surprised when Jughead, as if lost in thought, started to intertwine their fingers together. She felt comforted by the warmth of his hands. She observed her dark haired friend and saw how tired his face looked. It seemed as if he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. The bags underneath his eyes spoke of countless sleepless nights writing on his laptop. She felt his thumb draw circles at her hand and slowly her eyes started to close.

Betty began to wonder things about Jughead. What would happen if it had been Jughead who Betty had fond feelings for? She wasn't sure if it would've been easier considering her friend's take on romantic relationships. She knew Jughead wasn't the type seeing his lack of affection towards the girls in their year. At least that was what it seemed like. But then again, as if her memory played with her, she began to remember.

She began to drift off back to a particular memory in middle school. Betty, Archie and Jughead were like the Golden Trio of their year. They were inseparable. Wherever Betty was, Archie and Jughead were sure to follow. During that time, Jughead had started developing - his voice lowering a few tones and his height increasing almost half an inch each month. Puberty had hit him good, as what people would say.

In those times, Betty was sure enough that she had developed a girly crush on her best friend. Contrary to what people said, that she had been in love with Archie since forever, Betty had actually liked their dark and mysterious friend first. She was drawn to his witty humor. He would always say something that made Betty laugh and she looked forward to their hang outs after school.

But Jughead, being Jughead, had no romantic inclinations towards anyone as he found it troublesome to like a girl. He had based it from a time when a girl had confessed to him and wanted him to be her boyfriend. When he rejected the idea, she started off spreading rumors of him being weird and gay. That's when he placed being in a relationship to his things he'll never do list.

Betty was looking forward to seeing her two best friends after spending a week at her grandma's. She was on her way to the Andrews household and spotted the two huddled up near the garage. She overheard them speaking about Jughead and the girl who spread rumors and was about to announce her presence when Jughead said something that made her chest hurt.

"I swear Arch, this relationship thing? This isn't for me. I wouldn't want to be associated with anyone. It's too troublesome." He said, frustration evident in his face.

Betty then resolved to forget her crush towards her friend and keep everything platonic between her and her dark haired boy. After that, she and Archie started to get along pretty well at the start of their Freshman Year, Jughead being a bit distant from her and all. She guessed that Jughead didn't exempt her from his "stay away from complicated women" policy. Archie had been sweet and took all of her attention from Jughead and the rest is history.

*Buzz Buzz*

Betty snapped out of her reverie and pulled away from Jughead's hands to retrieve her phone.

"Hello mom?" She answered.

"Betty? Where are you? Your dad says you weren't at school when he dropped by." She asked, her voice sounded a bit concerned.

"I'm at Pop's mom. I left the dance early." She saw the look Jughead gave her as if asking if she was in trouble but he shook her head. "I'm going home in a while."

"Well your dad's on his way home. Want him to pick you up?"

"Sure mom. I'll wait for him here." She then cut the call and placed her phone back in her bag.

"To be continued?" She smiled at Jughead. He smiled back before nodding at her.

It was 5 minutes later when she heard the familiar honk of their card signaling that it was time to go home.

She was getting up from her seat and saying goodbye when she recalled something he had said earlier.

"Oh and Juggie? You're not the last person." She said in a quiet voice that he almost missed.

"Excuse me?" He said, wanting to clarify if he had indeed heard it correctly.

"I meant, you're wrong. You're not the last person . Not the first maybe but definitely not the last on that potential date list." She said with a smile that almost shattered his every belief of mediocre relationships and archetypical teenage romances. She then walked away not waiting for his answer.

He shook his head in amusement. Betty Cooper was indeed an interesting girl. He hated to admit it but he was looking forward to the next time they play the game.


	2. Chapter 2

This part will have more of the scenes in the series to put a little back story and things into perspective. Very minimal changes were made in the dialogues.

* * *

When the news broke out that Cheryl Blossom was found at Sweetwater River, soaking wet and without her beloved twin brother Jason Blossom by her side, everyone was beyond shocked. What first started as a simple outing between two siblings ended tragically at the demise of Riverdale's golden boy. The town once innocent has been overshadowed by the mystery of the missing boy's body who was presumed to have drowned and whose body was brought along by the river.

As if that wasn't shock enough, on the evening of Riverdale High's homecoming dance, an event to commemorate Jason Blossom, the said boy's body was discovered by the Sheriff's son Kevin Keller. The town would have continued to mourn the tragic accident had it been not for the bullet wound found piercing Jason's forehead. The case had been reopened and was now considered a homicide – if not murder.

 **Buzz Buzz**

Betty glanced at her phone. She was busy readying herself for school, her mind set on putting what happened at the Homecoming and After Party at the back of her mind. She even planned on going to Archie's house so they could walk together despite her mom's reminder this morning of how Veronica and Archie had already shown their 'true colors'. She admits, it was hard to forget how Archie's face looked when she mentioned them being the power couple.

 **Jughead: Did you hear about Golden Boy?**

 **Betty: I know. Crazy right? I'm gonna ask Kevin later about it. Wanna come?**

 **Jughead: I'll pass.**

Betty frowned at Jughead's message. A part of her felt sad that Jughead wanted to be alone and far from their circle of friends. Another part felt lonely as she wanted to have someone back her up given the situation she got herself into with Archie and Veronica. She knew she could count on Kevin but then again, she didn't want to burden any more people with what she's facing.

A few minutes later, Betty found herself knocking on the Andrews' door, her heart banging against her ribcage.

"You can do this Betty. I know you can." She breathed heavily and looked straight on. As if on cue, her ginger friend had opened the door, clearly surprised to find her there.

"Walk me to school?" She asked casually. She saw the look of relief on Archie's face as he nodded. There was still a pinch in her heart from remembering how Archie had turned down her proposition of being a couple but as the saying goes, life must go on.

"Betty, about last night –" he started.

"How about we agree not to talk about it Archie? It would save us all the trouble. I mean, I think we could agree that our friendship is on top of everything. At least we'll be on the same page about that." She felt a lump in hear throat as she tried to bury whatever feelings she had for her friend at the back of everything. It's hard trying to be bigger than the problem but she's gotta try right?

"Okay, I understand." He said, dropping whatever he intended on saying.

Betty was thankful and at the same time slightly disappointed that he didn't fight to talk about what happened. It clearly shows that he stood by his answer last night and that sleeping on it didn't change the fact that they were just friends.

Upon arriving in school, Betty was greeted by Kevin who looked unshaken by the recent events. For someone who tripped on Jason's dead body, he was taking it calmly.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Betty said while walking in the school corridors with her friend.

"What, about finding the body? Creeped out to say in the least Betty. But I'm also frustrated at a certain Bulldog whose name rhymes with Goose." He said rolling his eyes.

Betty's eyebrows knotted in confusion. "You mean Moose—"

"Shhh! Don't say his name out loud. I swear that boy can hear like a mile away."

"So what's up with you and Goose?" She said awkwardly which earned another eye roll.

"He's just like any typical boy who's going through a confused phase in his life. And I'm just a guy who's got spare time to entertain such. It's nothing serious. After all, he is dating Midge." He said nonchalantly.

Betty admired how her friend was able to handle this head on. She somehow wished she could be just like everyone else who can shrug a heartbreak in a blink of an eye. .

She was supposed to ask him more about it but both their attention was taken aback by the bouquet of yellow roses on top of Betty's table at the student center.

"Oh my God, those are gorgeous. Are those for Betty, Mrs. Philips?" Kevin said before picking up the card.

"That's why I called her." The secretary said in a irritated voice, clearly annoyed with the students and their drama.

"Who is it from?" Kevin opened the card and read it's content but Betty already had an idea of who gave it to her.

"It's probably from V—" she started but was cut off by the blue jasmine herself.

"—Veronica. The yellow is for friendship." She said coming in with a smile and another peace offering in her hands. "It's magnolia cupcakes straight from New York. As like what my mom used to say, there's no wrong that can't be corrected by the right cupcake."

Kevin raised an eyebrow at Veronica and cast a glance at Betty, as if saying _Was she serious_?

Betty shrugged her shoulders and just smiled. "I swear B, I'm so sorry for what happened the other night. It was clearly a bitch move. I have no excuse for what I did."

For some reason, Betty saw and heard the sincerity in Veronica's apology. She just nodded and Veronica looked pleased.

"I promise I'll make it up to you. I booked us a mani pedi at Hers & Hers, we can go there after school?" She had a hopeful look in her face.

"Sure." Betty answered. Veronica squealed in joy and hugged her before linking arms with her and pulling her towards their usual place.

She saw the look Kevin gave her but she just shrugged and allowed Veronica to pull her away.

When they arrived, Betty saw Archie with his guitar on hand, strumming a few notes.

"Anything new for us today Archiekins?" Veronica asked trying to keep things casual.

"Nothing finished. It's still in the works." He said.

"Let's hear it." Kevin prompted. He looked from Kevin to Veronica who both signaled that he should do it to avoid any tension.

"I'd love to hear it Arch." Betty said in a soft voice.

Archie nodded and started playing.

As if her mind were playing tricks on her, memories of her and Archie dancing flashed in her mind followed by the look on his face when she mentioned about being together. She saw how Veronica and Archie entered Cheryl's closet, not once casting a glance at their hurting friend.

She felt her chest constrict at the pain it caused and looked away from her best friend. Her once safe place was now tainted by the unrequited feelings and rejection.

"Betty? You okay?" She hadn't noticed that he stopped playing and was now looking at her with concern in his eyes.

"I'm supposed to say yes, being the nice girl but I can't." Her voice broke as tears formed in her eyes. She stood quickly and ran off far from the gang only to be followed by Archie.

"Betty wait!" He pulled her arm causing her to face him.

"I'm sorry Archie. I thought I could pretend that everything is okay but it's not. When I think of a safe and happy place, I think of us in a booth at Pop's or at the homecoming dancing together. But then I'll always be reminded of the way you looked when I told you I loved you and it's not the same anymore." The tears she had tried her best to hold escaped from her eyes.

"I love you too Betty. You know that. But just not the way that you want me to. You're the perfect girl. But I'm not sure I deserve someone like you." His eyes were pleading but the case was long gone. For the second time in two days, Betty's heart was crushed by the person she trusted the most.

She pulled her hand from his and ran towards the school, far from the person who caused her pain. Far from Archie Andrews, the guy who used to make her feel giddy but now tore everything to pieces. She knew this would happen. She just didn't expect it to hurt this much.

Her feet brought her to the dusty Blue and Gold office. She sat in front of the computer and placed her head in her hands. She finally let herself cry for the loss of a once innocent love, a love doomed to be unrequited.

She stayed in that place for an hour or so, missing her class. Betty wasn't one to skip lessons but she figured, this was better than looking like a horrible monster with puffy and bloodshot eyes.

She looked around the office after she was done crying. She saw the old articles once published by the Blue and Gold paper. They used to take pride in print journalism before everything went digital. She felt an idea coming to her and immediately texted the perfect person who would consider doing it with her.

She pocketed her phone and went on to the gym for the River vixen's practice. Her teachers might be forgiving if she missed out on a class but she doubted Cheryl would be. Especially now after what they all found out about Jason. She was definitely on boss level bitch mode.

She checked her eye in the mirror to see if the puffiness had died down. It was still red but at least it just looked like an allergy. Maybe Cheryl would stay away from her thinking it might be contagious. A girl could only hope.

"Betty, where have you been? You missed lab earlier." Veronica cornered her when she arrived at practice.

"I lost track of time. I was going over something and the next thing I know, it's been an hour and classes were over." She lied. She knew Veronica didn't buy it one bit but then again who was she to question Betty? After all, their friendship was walking on a thin line. Any wrong move and everything would be over.

"You didn't miss much anyway. Just Moose requesting to be partnered with Kevin. He looked dismayed." She said trying to lighten up the mood.

"Is that so?" Betty answered with disinterest.

Veronica was about to say something when the queen vixen has arrived to start practice.

"Gather up ladies. Let's get the show started." Cheryl clapped her hands signaling everyone to go to their places.

After a few shouts here and there, practice was declared over when Cheryl had a brilliant idea of inviting the Pussycats at the pep rally.

"I swear I'm gonna need that pedicure after this. You coming Betty?" She looked at Veronica and felt that these little small talks she was starting were starting to get tiresome.

"I have homework." Shpreplied.

"You know Cheryl hosting a pep rally is really showing something about her coping mechanism. It's either she's brilliant or psychotic." Her raven haired friend said while stretching her legs.

"At least she's not putting on an act. Pretending to be a butterfly when she's actually a wasp." Betty retorted. The look on Veronica's face says that she was through being the nice girl.

"For the record, the only reason I went in with Archie was to stop Cheryl from doing so. I did it for you." She said sitting up and facing her head on.

"Oh you did it for me then? So what, I'm supposed to thank you Veronica? Can you look me in the eye and tell me nothing happened between you and Archie in those 7 minutes?" She stood up and looked down on her 'friend', their emotions spiraling out of control.

Veronica was about to come up with something but Betty cut her off. "I think not."

"Hey don't blame me. It's not my fault Archie doesn't like you that way." Veronica stood and crossed her arms.

"We were fine before you got here Veronica—"

"Oh by fine you mean you pinning after him and what? Waiting for him to catch on your feelings? Face it Betty. Whether I was here or not, it wouldn't have changed he fact that what Archie has for you is simply platonic. You can't blame him for that. Most of the time the people we like don't like us back. Romeo and Juliet are just an exception to that rule." Veronica said, every word spoken struck Betty with so much intensity. She was right. But she wouldn't admit it to her friend.

"Great news ladies! The pussycats are in." Cheryl chimed in. When she noticed the tension between the two, it's as if she felt happier. "Oh did I interrupt something?"

"Actually Cheryl yes—" Veronica started.

"No. We were done talking." Betty said gaining a look from Veronica. "By the way, I have an extra gift certificate from Hers & Hers for a pedi, you wanna come with me?"

"Don't you dare." Veronica warned.

"Back off closet monster. You had your chance. Let's go B." She linked her arm to Betty's and pulled her away. Betty gave one final look to Veronica before letting Cheryl drag her away.

* * *

Jughead fingers were on fire. He needed the distraction. He had finally found inspiration to write his novel with Riverdale's very own In Cold Blood. He felt bad at some point for immortalizing Jason Blossom's death on paper but the recent events have sparked something inside of him. Therefore taking out his deerstalker hat, he resolved to figure out who caused the golden boy's demise. He could think of one person who would be perfect to be his John Watson. He took out his phone and was surprised to see a message was already waiting.

 **Betty: Meet me at the Blue and Gold tomorrow? I have a proposition.**

 **Jughead: Me too. See you at 7?**

Jughead smiled at Betty's attempt to bring back the lost time in summer. True to her word, she made sure that she would check on him once a day at a minimum. Jughead constantly had to remind himself that this was just Betty being the compassionate friend she is and nothing more left for a different interpretation. He knew he had to draw the line with the budding feeling he keeps on getting whenever he sees or talks to his blonde friend. It was a dangerous place to stay at after all.

When the door to Pop's sounded, signaling the entrance of a customer, Jughead couldn't help but tear his gaze away from his laptop. He saw how the raven haired girl, who was causing the rift between his best friend and ex best friend, enter and talk to one of the staff at Pop's. He was surprised that the girl who dressed like a rich girl called the waitress "Mom". He wasn't one to judge so he knew there was more to this girl than just catching Archie's interest.

He decided to leave Pop's to visit his 'friend' and confront him about what he saw earlier at the school music room. It took him everything to restrain himself from telling Betty what he had witnessed earlier today. One, he didn't want to hurt Betty any more than she already is by telling her that her best friend slash love was screwing the music teacher. And two, he wanted to make sure of his facts before actually doing something about it. What better way to do it than to get the information directly from the horse's mouth right?

So he waited. He waited for his ex-best friend to arrive. He sat on their porch and watched as the sun had gone down before the man of the night decided to show himself.

"Jughead, what are you doing here?" His ginger friend said in surprise.

"Well Archie, I came here to ask you about what I saw a while ago at school. In the music room. You and Ms. Grundy. Ring a bell?" He outright put his cards on the table. There was no need for some beating around the bush.

"Keep your voice down Jughead. My dad's inside." He stepped forward and lowered his voice.

"So you aren't denying it? Archie what are you thinking? Is she taking advantage of you?" Jughead felt a rise in his emotions.

"You don't have a right to say that. You don't know anything. What Geraldine and I have.."

"Oh so it's Geraldine?" He scoffed. "So I guess she's the reason why you were acting strange all summer?"

"One of them." He looked down in embarrassment.

"One of them? There's more?"

"We were at the Sweetwater River on July 4th. We heard a gunshot." He said.

The gears in Jughead's brain had started working and he found a new reason to hate on his best friend. "And you didn't think this information was vital to the investigation of Jason's murder? Just who are you protecting Archie?"

"Geraldine told me not to. If I come up to Sheriff Keller then we won't be together anymore." He reasoned out.

Jughead wanted to tell him more things but decided against it. His friend was a lost cause. Trapped between the webs of Geraldine Grundy.

"You know what? The Archie I once knew would choose what is right than what is easy." He said before walking away from his friend.

He badly wanted to go to Betty and let out his frustration on Archie but he knew he shouldn't add to her problems. He didn't want to. He decided to blow off steam at Pop's and let his fingers work it's magic on his novel.

* * *

 **Buzz Buzz**

Betty was getting ready for school when her phone lit up.

 **Jughead: Can we meet at B &G tom instead? I have some things to do. **

Betty felt disheartened at her friend's last minute cancellation. She had a lot of things she wanted to talk about with him and she thought it was about time for their 2nd question.

She quickly replied an okay before heading off to school. She was looking forward to seeing Veronica as she had resolved that she would fix things with her.

Her time with Cheryl didn't end up well yesterday. It turns out, Cheryl was fishing for information on her sister Polly as she suspected her to be Jason's killer. Betty could be protective when it comes to Polly. It certainly was a sensitive issue for her.

Spotting her at the lockers, Betty grabbed her books and attempted to strike a conversation. "You were right."

Veronica turned to look at her blonde friend and gave a little nod of acknowledgement.

"Those things you said about Archie. I guess you could say it's hard to admit things to yourself." She said. "The boy I like doesn't like me back."

"You know Archie may not be crushing on you, but he definitely loves you. And he's miserable without you." Betty looked down and sighed. "My mom used to tell me, sometimes a friend is better than a boyfriend. Maybe this is one of those times."

Betty nodded in agreement.

"Hey Betty you wanna hang out at the Lounge?" Kevin said. He was surprised to see Betty with Veronica, knowing about their small feud and all.

"Sure." She said. She turned to look at Veronica "See you around."

Kevin and Betty were discussing about the upcoming pep rally this afternoon when Reggie Mantle started spewing about his theories on who killed Jason Blossom. Betty felt anger bubble in her chest when Reggie implied that Jughead was the killer, being 'dark and brooding' all the time. He even suggested that the boy did things to the body after killing him.

"It's called necrophilia Reggie. Can you spell it?" Betty felt proud for her friend but it was short lived when Reggie tried to tackle Jughead. She felt her heart race when the angered teen almost hit her friend. She was thankful that Archie was there to stop him and all but it didn't help that Reggie insinuated that he was in on it with Jughead. Archie pushed him which caused a fight to break and ended up with Reggie landing a punch on the ginger, knocking him down.

Moose pulled his friend away from the scene and Veronica immediately ran to Archie's side to check on him. Betty was supposed to do the same when she noticed that her beanie wearing friend slipped out of the lounge. She opted to follow him instead given that Kevin and Veronica were already there to attend to her ginger friend.

"Juggie!" She called out, making him stop on his tracks and allowing her to catch up on him.

"I think you're mistaken Betts. Archie Andrews is still at the lounge. You might wanna go check on him." He said, his stance indicated that he was prepared to leave so Betty held on to his arm.

"No Juggie. I came for you. I wanted to check on you." She said softly.

"I wasn't the one who got punched but thank you for the concern. Can I go now?"

Betty felt hurt that Jughead was pushing her away. She felt genuine concern for him as he almost got hit by Reggie earlier. She didn't understand what's the reason behind his attitude so she thought of only one way to make him open up.

"I want my second question now." She said with determination.

Jughead couldn't hide the surprise that registered on his face. He wasn't expecting Betty to pull her cards at the moment. He knew he could answer whatever she asked but he really wasn't in the mood. He feared that he will spill more than what he should reveal. But Jughead didn't want to use his pass card either.

He sighed in defeat and let his blonde friend have her way.

"Fine. Ask away." He tried to be as nonchalant as possible but his heart was racing in his chest.

"Why are you running away from me?" He was caught off guard by her simple question. He expected her to ask why he bailed on her this morning or why he's pushing her towards Archie. Those questions, he could've given a simple answer. But then the question she threw at him was just too personal and close to what he wasn't prepared admit anytime soon.

"I'm not." He tried to stall but the look on her face meant business. He gave out another sigh before deciding to tell the truth. "I didn't expect you to follow me Betts. I had my mind set on you going to Archie first and not me. I was just… surprised that's all. I didn't think you'd bother to check on me. After all, I wasn't the one who got pummeled."

Betty felt her chest constrict at how Jughead thought of himself as unimportant. She had wanted so much to make him feel that he was important to her and that he was not going to be a second thought to her. Not after their conversation the other day.

"Juggie… I worry about you. Regardless if you weren't hit, I was scared that you would've been hurt." Jughead felt raw emotions overwhelm him and he almost couldn't stop his arms from pulling her into a tight embrace. But he knew better. He knew better than to show his intentions to Betty especially now when she was still moving on from Archie. He didn't plan on becoming a rebound after all. He will just have to wait things out.

"If you and Archie were on fine terms, would you have still come after me?" Betty was taken aback by his question.

"Is that your second question?" She clarified to which had earned her a nod.

"I…" she started.

In all honestly, Jughead prepared to hear a no. He knew that if things had been ok with Betty and Archie, she would've come to his side without a second glance at him. She may have even tried to stop Reggie from landing that punch and put herself in harm's way. It's trait of Betty's that Jughead was definitely not a fan of.

"To be honest? I think yes." Jughead was surprised by her admission and was more surprised at how excited his heart had felt at her words. He was starting to find this heart beating wildly thing to be a tad too troublesome.

"I told you didn't I? I care about you Juggie. And being on good terms with Archie won't change that fact." He could've opted to push her further to expound on her answer but decided against it. He wasn't sure if he was ready to hear her answer to what he had in mind. He could reserve that for a later time. He wasn't in a rush after all.

He nodded at her. He was about to ask something when she was called on by one of the River Vixens. Apparently, they had to do last minute practice before the pep rally.

"To be continued?" He said, stealing one of her lines. She laughed at it and nodded goodbye.

As Jughead stared at the retreating back of his best friend Betty Cooper, he could be certain of a few things:

One, he held a special place in her heart that he wasn't complaining about. Clearly she proved to him that she wasn't just doing it because she was on bad terms with Archie and he greatly appreciated that he finally had someone he can go to in times of need.

Two, Betty Cooper was the most compassionate girl he had ever met and he would make it as one of his life missions to ensure that she won't get hurt by anyone. He would protect her no matter what even if it meant him being hurt in the process.

And finally, three, he hated to admit it to himself but it seems that his buried feelings for his best friend has started to resurface and has come back with vengeance. It was like spring time after a long cold winter.

He would be so screwed if he doesn't keep things in check.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'll be going along the timeline of the series so as not to make things confusing. Thank you for reading! :)

Correction: Apparently Juggie's eyes were blue after all (after seeing Sheriff Keller's file). Sorry for the mistake.

There once was a time in Riverdale High when reading the school paper was the highlight of everyone's day. It would keep the students and teachers alike updated with the current events and side gossip which circulated around their small school. There had been plans to digitize the paper to adapt to the kids' growing fascination with technology but the cost of running and maintaining a website was too high compared to printing a school paper. Thus, after the failed attempt of getting the school's approval for a digital school paper, the ex editor-in-chief who had now left Riverdale High had put the Blue and Gold into dormancy.

Being the daughter of the owners of The Register, the town's newspaper, Betty Cooper couldn't help but feel the need to awaken the sleeping school paper. It started when she was questioning the investigation of Jason Blossom's murder during her discussion with her mother. Alice Cooper had hinted that Betty's inquisitive nature would be useful for The Register someday as they needed the Lois Lane type of girl in the company. This fueled Betty's fire to revive the B&G and make the kids at Riverdale High conscientious with what is currently happening with their school rather than just be gossipmongers whose main source of information is Cheryl Blossom's twitter account.

"I thought print journalism was dead." Betty thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of her friend Jughead Jones. He was leaning on the door panel with his arms crossed on his chest.

She smiled at her friend while dusting off the old computer in the office. "It's not dead Juggie, just…dormant. I want to awaken it and you're the first person I thought of who could help me out."

"I don't think the school paper is the right fit for my voice." He said coming inside the office and stopping in front of her. He plucked a magnifying glass from the holder and played with it.

"Riverdale is changing Juggie. Cheryl's confession on what happened that day on July 4th proved that. The mystery of Jason Blossom was the start of it all. Nothing bad should have happened to this town and I'm sure a lot of us would want to know what really happened." She said with certainty.

It was true. When Sheriff Keller and Principal Weatherbee came into their class one morning to question Cheryl, everyone was beyond shocked when she claimed she was "guilty". Who would've thought that half of the Blossom twins could inconspicuously murder her own blood? Cheryl, it turns out, was just being melodramatic and had sensationalized the whole thing. In effect, it only brought up suspicions against herself. What Cheryl meant was that what had happened at Sweetwater River on July 4th was an attempt of the other half of the Blossom twins to escape the confines of Riverdale and run away from home. No one was sure with the reasons behind it.

Jughead admired how passionate Betty was in trying to awaken the Blue and Gold. It was a crazy idea considering most students would rather get unverified gossip on their twitter accounts rather than the actual truth. The way Betty had aspired to change that was truly enthralling. Her eyes sparkled with the thirst and hunger for truth. He knew right then and there that this school paper would be a success if Betty Cooper's gonna be behind it. Everything she touched turned to gold after all.

"So what do you say? Will you come write with me?" She said, her hands clasped together, her eyes twinkled with anticipation.

"Will I get complete freedom?" He smirked and raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'll help edit and add inputs every now and then but it's gonna be your story." She replied.

He shook his head at his friend's response. "Doesn't sound like complete freedom but…I'm in." He said.

He was surprised when she grinned at his response. She looked like a kid who was given an early present on Christmas Eve. Her eyes glowed with joy and her smile had brightened the room. If Jughead didn't know any better, she was probably emitting her pheromones to reel him in to saying yes. How could he say no to that face after all?

"Thank you Juggie!" She grabbed his hand, squeezed it before letting go almost too immediately.

Jughead could feel the lack of warmth missing from his hands but decided not to mind it too much. These past few days, his feelings were just going into overdrive when it involved a certain blonde girl.

Her face had changed from happy to serious in a snap which indicated that she now meant business.

"I have a first assignment for you Juggie. There's one person who was at Sweetwater River on July 4th that no one's talking about—"

"Dilton Doiley and his scouts." He finished off.

"Exactly." She nodded.

"Right, I'm on it John Watson." He said before brushing his thumb on his nose.

"Hey, how come I'm not Sherlock?" Betty was back into playful mode.

"I thought of it first so of course I'll be the lead." He shot back impishly.

Betty shook her head and smiled. "Then I'll come up with something else… Robin."

He laughed at her suggestion. "What you think you're Batman?"

"I could be." She said proudly.

"We'll continue this conversation later. But for now, you're the Watson to my Sherlock." He said before finally leaving Betty to herself.

Betty was pleased that things were going great now for the gang. After the events at the Pep Rally and their dinner at Pop's, the crack in Archie and Jughead's friendship was slowly mending. The boys have decided to put behind them the disappointments that happened in Summer and start anew.

Meanwhile, Betty and Veronica had also resolved to not let any boy come in between them anymore. She was just glad that she could have her friend back. She knew it was going to be the start of a long and beautiful friendship with the new girl.

Speaking of the new girl, Veronica had been doing good with adjusting to the new environment. It wasn't anything like New York but it would do. She even landed herself a date with the football team's captain Chuck Clayton. Kevin and Betty were all over her when she announced it to her peers that she was going on a date with the football star. "Dating a Kennedy" like what Kevin had put it.

Betty was worried about Veronica and warned her about Chuck's reputation as a player but she assured Betty that she could handle herself being a big girl and all. Betty just let things be and hoped for the best for her friend.

"If he tries anything funny, let us know okay?" Betty reminded Veronica while they were on their way to the next class.

"I'll be fine B. And don't worry, if something happens, which I'm sure nothing big enough that I couldn't handle, I'll make sure you'll be the first to know." She squeezed Betty's hand reassuringly.

The went on with their class and finished the rest of the day with no breaking news of Cheryl's confirmed guilt or Jason's motive for leaving town. It didn't help when speculations about Polly and Jason had resurfaced and the rumor mill went wild with theories on Polly's disappearance and her connection to Jason's death. Betty had to dig her nails in her palms to keep herself from snapping at the people who even insinuated that Polly was the killer.

 **Buzz Buzz**

Glancing at her phone, Betty saw Jughead's name flash on the screen signaling the incoming call..

"Hey Watson, I've got good news and some bad. What do you wanna hear first?" His deep voice sounded in the receiver.

"Hit me with your best shot." She said, opting for the bad news first.

"Well Doiley wouldn't spill the beans. His lips are more sown than my grandma's crochet." He said, frustration evident in his voice.

"But?" She supplied.

Betty could almost hear over the phone, if that were even possible, Jughead smiling from the other line.

"But _Nancy Drew_ , I was able to pick up on the signals one of his scouts were throwing at me. So tonight, I'm going to confront the boy. Wanna come?" The invitation was really nice and she would've loved to come with him.

"I'd love to Juggie but I promised my mom I'd go with her to this function." She sighed. She wanted to go and question the scout with Jughead after all.

"It's okay Betts. I'll drop by your house after? What time does the function finish?" He suggested.

Betty felt something skip in her stomach. It must have been the thrill of the investigation that's keeping her blood pumping rapidly.

"I'll try to go home by 10. I'll text you Chewbacca." She said, remembering one of the duos she researched earlier.

"Chewbacca? What, you're Han Solo now?" He was laughing on the other line and Betty couldn't help but feel happy that she was one of the people who could brighten the mood of her mysterious friend.

"Yup. Got a problem with that?" She said, a smile playing on her lips.

"Whatever you say Solo. See you later." He said before ending the call.

Jughead felt his chest constrict at the overwhelming feeling he was currently experiencing. He knew, at this rate, his emotions were developing too fast. If things continue to run like this, he doubted if he could still keep his emotions at bay.

It was like the feelings he had for the blonde girl next door had never left at all. He knew he had kept it at the deepest and farthest part of his brain just so he could contain it and keep it from spilling over. He dreaded the day when everything becomes too magnanimous to hide and lose Betty Cooper in the process.

Jughead shook his head and decided to go to stalk one of Doiley's scouts and look for an opening. He saw one when the scout had decided to get a treat at Pop's, Jughead's second realm. This was going to be too easy for him.

The scout, unbeknownst to the boy tailing him, was peacefully enjoying a milkshake when the cherry topper was swiftly snatched by a crouching boy across from him. He almost screamed in surprise had it not been for his recognition of Jughead.

"What do you want from me?" He nervously asked.

"I saw the way you looked at me earlier. You have something to tell me?" Jughead didn't bother to do any wishy washy small talk. He meant business.

"It's scoutmaster Doiley. He's lying. He fired the gunshot when he was teaching us survival tips." The boy almost too immediately spilled.

"Dilton Doiley fired the gunshot?" Jughead repeated in surprise. The scout just nodded and searched the premises for any onlooker.

Jughead walked out of Pop's with new piece of information from his talk with the scout but he hardly got any clarity on the Jason Blossom murder. He couldn't wait to go to the Cooper's house to share the discovery. He knew he was going to confront Doiley anytime soon and he had hoped Betty would be there with him.

He got his phone out and texted Betty that he was done with the interrogation. It was only 9:30 and he was already planning on where to stay while waiting for his friend when she responded to his message.

 **Betty: Meet me at my house in 5, Jerry**

Jughead couldn't hold his laugh at what he read.

 **Jughead: As in Tom and Jerry? We're cat and mouse now?**

 **Betty: You bet ;)**

Jughead wanted to smack himself for feeling giddy at the simple smiley that Betty had inserted in her text.

"Don't read too much on it Jughead. It won't end good." He reminded himself before he went on his way to Betty's house.

A few minutes later, he was knocking on her window. He was lucky enough to have a ladder nearby else, he would've pulled a Spiderman on the tree. He considered ringing the doorbell but he wasn't sure if the Cooper parents were around.

"Juggie!" She greeted with enthusiasm as she let him in her room. As soon as Jughead saw her, his breath was caught as if something was blocking his airways.

Damn, saying that Betty Cooper cleans up nicely would be an understatement. She was beyond beautiful if that were even possible. She wore a black sleeveless dress that hugged her figure perfectly. Her hair was not in its usual ponytail form and formed gentle waves that accentuated her face.

"Nice." He couldn't help but say. He saw a small blush creep at the blonde girl's cheeks.

"Not as nice if Cheryl wears it or Veronica." She said.

Jughead couldn't see how someone as beautiful and smart as Betty would be insecure over Cheryl and Veronica. Sure they may be a bit prettier than her, not by Jughead's standard just to be clear, but Betty was an overall package that you would rarely see on someone. She was kind, passionate and smart. Jughead wished he could make her see what he sees without being obvious about his innermost emotions.

"Betty, you look amazing. Embrace it. You don't have to be a Cheryl or a Veronica to be beautiful." He said, his ears heating up from the things he's saying. He turned away from Betty so as not to appear too obvious on how he couldn't keep his hands off of her. He decided to observe the things on his best friend's desk just so he can distract himself.

"So Juggie, what happened with the scout?" She said trying to shift the mood to a lighter one. He swore it felt like summer inside her room.

"Well, turns out, Doiley was keeping secrets from the Sheriff. According to the scout, it was him who fired the gunshot." Jughead explained briefly, this time he was now able to look her in the eye.

"That's weird. Why would he keep such information? Everyone knows Jason died a week after when the autopsy was leaked." She said, the cogs in her mind turning as she tried to think of a reason as to why Doiley would keep the truth from everyone.

"Maybe he feared that he would be a prime suspect since Jason died with a gunshot to the head." He supplied.

Betty sighed and moved to sit on her bed. Jughead had to turn away from his friend to keep his mind from wondering about certain details concerning her. He hated how Betty could so easily shatter his beliefs and restraint. And she wasn't even seducing him or anything.

"You think so Juggie? I think we need to ask Doiley again on it just to be sure. We don't want to be pointing fingers and wrongly accusing someone of what they may not have done." She decided.

"I'll corner him tomorrow at the Taste of Riverdale." He was ready to leave.

"You know what? Make him come to the Blue and Gold office. Let's ask him together." She added.

Jughead nodded in agreement. "Well I better go." He motioned to leave through the window again when Betty's hand connected with his arm.

"You don't have to leave yet." Jughead could feel the heat transferring from her hand to his arm. It was so strong that he could almost feel his skin burning. "My parents won't be home until 11 and.. I wanted some company too." She said softly.

Jughead's mouth dropped open in surprise. He wasn't sure if what the blonde was propositioning would be good for his well-being. It was bad enough that he couldn't look straight at her when they were talking about B&G. What more if she surprises him with a third question tonight? He hoped not for the sake of his sanity and restraint.

"I mean if you want to that is…" she averted her eyes from his and played with the loose thread on her bed sheet.

"I…" Jughead wanted to slap the back of his head just so he could come up with the right words to say. He wanted to stay with her. But he just couldn't assure himself that he won't say anything stupid if he stays. However, the look of anticipation on Betty's face reminded him of his promise that he would rather be hurt than to see his friend in pain.

Screw dying a thousand deaths, he'd risk it just to make this girl happy. "Sure. I can stay."

Her face lit up like a kid on Christmas day. "Thanks Juggie."

She stood from her position and started removing her earrings and other accessories. "I'm gonna change and grab something to eat. You want anything?"

He wanted to say he wanted his restraint back. He wanted to bury this budding passion at the farthest place possible. He wanted to say that she should stop being who she is so he can concentrate on going back to the indifferent Jughead he was before the night of the Homecoming dance. He wanted to say he wished to go back in time and stop himself from approaching her that night at Pop's. He should've just watched her from afar instead of trying to make her feel better.

But all of those things were just selfish thoughts. He shook his head no and just smiled.

He couldn't blame Betty for being who she is. He couldn't blame her for being too easy to like. He couldn't blame her for showing her vulnerable side on the night of the dance. If there's someone to blame, it should be himself for not keeping himself in check. He had a lapse of judgment. He thought he could go back to being her friend again without the repercussions of developing something for her. But damn, his consequence surely hit him hard in the face.

He stared at the photos on Betty's desk. Most of them were from their childhood days. He noticed one photo of them having a picnic at Sweetwater River back when things were innocent. He remembered that day vividly as that was the day he lost his two front teeth after being pushed by Moose too hard while playing tag. He could recall Betty crying for him because she thought he was gonna die and leave them.

Jughead laughed at the memory of Betty, face red and full of tears. Despite having puffy eyes, he still found her beautiful. That was probably the day he first looked at Betty as someone who could be more than his friend.

"I got us some chips and some soda. I hope you like rootbeer." He helped her carry the food tray and placed it on top of her table next to the picture frames. The photo he was just looking at earlier caught her eye causing her to take it from its usual place.

"I remember this day. You lost your two front teeth." She said softly, a smile playfully settled on her lips.

"Yeah, you cried nonstop for 3 hours. How could I forget?" He said, grabbing one of the rootbeer and drinking from it, finally dampening his parched mouth.

"How could I not Juggie? That was the day we finally gotten past our timidity and became friends. I was so afraid to lose you." She laughed in recollection.

Jughead was taken aback by her simple declaration. He knew she meant that she just didn't want to lose a friend but the way his brain understood it gave him a hard time breathing. He didn't know how long will he be able to endure this.

He moved away from her and started eating the chips she had brought. "Good times huh?" He said.

"It's sad how our youth and innocence were easily taken by the death of Jason." She sighed. She had a sad look in her eyes.

"We can't blame the loss of innocence on Jason Blossom's death. Jason's death had been the result of the loss of our youth and innocence." Jughead said.

Betty closed her eyes and faced upward as if waiting for rain to fall. Jughead was surprised to see a tear fall from her eye. He couldn't believe how beautiful someone can be while crying. He felt his feet move on its own, bringing him closer to his friend, his hand moving on it's own accord and reaching to wipe the tear on her cheek.

Betty's eyes flew open and the deepest blue of the ocean met his steel blue ones.. Jughead could swear he felt like drowning.

He retreated his hand into his pocket and smiled sheepishly to ease the building tension. He knew then and there that it was time to go.

"I have to go. Your parents are probably on their way back already." He said. "Thanks for the snacks and drinks. I'll see you tomorrow?"

He didn't miss the look of disappointment in Betty's eyes but she quickly masked it with a smile. She walked him down to the front door and bade him goodnight.

Jughead Jones was pissed. No, he was beyond pissed. He was aggravated. Distressed. Perturbed. His emotions were spiraling out of control. He wanted to punch a wall, a person, something – just to get it out of his system.

His legs were burning from the speed of his walk. He wanted so much to reach the Blue and Gold office to confront the person who caused his emotions to go haywire.

"Juggie? You look…mad?" The object of his frustration sat behind the computer, concern was plastered all over her beautiful face.

He breathed slowly and counted to ten. He knew that if he didn't calm down, he will just say something bad to her and cause an irreparable damage.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her voice softer than ever.

"What's wrong Betty? You. That's what's wrong." He hadn't meant to say it so harshly.

"Me? What did I do?" She stood from her place and walked over to where he was standing. They were dangerously close to one another. He could see her emotions rising at his accusation.

"Do you know what they're talking about you at the lockers?" He asked.

Betty's expression changed as she had an idea of what her dark haired friend might be mad about.

"They're calling you Crazy Betty – good girl by day, crazy hot bitch by night and they couldn't wait to take turns on you." Betty flushed at what the others were saying. She tried to reason out with Jughead but he won't let her. He kept spewing about how stupid her actions were and that she should've just gone to Weatherbee about it.

"Going to Weatherbee wouldn't have helped Juggie. A guy like Chuck Clayton wouldn't have learned his lesson if we didn't do what we did. I regret nothing." She said, her head held high.

"He's a football player Betty! For pete's sake, he could've taken advantage of you and Veronica with how strong he is. He's stronger than you, bigger than you, quicker than you! Did you not consider that?" Jughead felt his face heat up just thinking about the things that Chuck could've done to hurt Betty. He would've committed murder if that had happened.

"We can handle ourselves pretty well." She said, not backing down and pissing Jughead more.

She turned away from him but he grabbed her arms tightly and pushed her toward their bulletin board, pinning her against it.

"Juggie what are you—" she squinted when Jughead tightened his grip on her. Her heart raced when his face moved dangerously close to hers. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat but it did nothing to calm her nerves down.

"Can you Betty? If Chuck had you in this position, can you break from it?" Their noses were already touching at their proximity. One move and his lips will be touching hers already.

His ears were ringing not only from the amount of anger he felt but also from the way his heart pounded in his chest. One move and all the years of yearning and wondering of how Betty would taste like will be quenched.

He saw Betty close her eyes and he was about to close in the gap between them when a tear had escaped from her eye. Jughead snapped out of his thoughts and let her go. He moved as far away as possible from her. He would've kissed her. He would've forced her like what he had imagined Chuck would do to her. Chuck wasn't the bad guy in the picture. He was. He felt ashamed. How could he do that to Betty? There was no excuse for him.

He wouldn't blame her if she ran. He would understand her if she decided not to speak with him again. He wouldn't take it against her. But what he didn't understand was why she was still there in the room with him and now touching his arm?

"Juggie.." she said softly.

His chest ached. He didn't know how to face Betty now after what he did. He saw how the marks on her wrist were starting to darken. He felt even worse.

"I want my third question Juggie." She knew just what to do to make him talk.

He still didn't face her. "Why are you so bothered with what happened with Chuck?"

Jughead sighed in defeat. "You put yourself in harm's way Betty. I'm going crazy thinking about what could've happened. He could've hurt you. He could've destroyed you. And yet you have no regard for your personal safety. Why don't you care about your personal safety?"

Betty opened and closed her mouth several times, finding it hard to answer his question. "I just… I guess I thought I could handle it. I understand why you're mad Juggie and I don't hate you for doing what you did earlier. It was to teach me a lesson. So please… look at me." She pleaded.

As if a fuse had sparked in him, Jughead snapped out of it and did what he thought was best in their situation.

If Betty wouldn't run away from him, he will.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I would love to thank everyone who reviewed this story, your kind words are very much appreciated. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it.**

* * *

Four days, six hours, twenty five minutes have passed since their last conversation at the Blue and Gold Office. Three days, thirteen hours and two minutes since he last saw her at the corridor talking to Veronica. Two days, three hours and forty five minutes since he told himself that he will talk to her and apologize for his actions. One day, six hours and fifteen minutes since he realized how much of a coward he is for being unable to approach her.

Jughead Jones was at a loss. For one thing, he knew that he had no face to show Betty for how he acted out. He was no better than Chuck Clayton with what he did to her. He was surprised that Veronica and Archie have not yet confronted him about it. He had expected that Betty would have told them how he acted like an ass and tried to take advantage of her.

He was such a monster. He didn't deserve to have her as his friend. He resolved that he would just stay away from her so she could be safe from whatever demons are inside of him. He couldn't afford to have what happened earlier to occur again. He would rather kill himself that see Betty in so much pain.

Jughead fell into a routine these past few days. He would go to school, attend his classes, make up some excuse to not join the gang at lunch then go straight to the Twilight Drive-In for his part time job. So far, he had survived four days doing the same things without Archie and the gang noticing. He knew at one point, Archie would question his reasons for avoiding them and soon enough, he'll find out what he did to Betty and never speak to him again. It was only a matter of time.

Jughead was already on his fifth day of avoiding Betty Cooper when he had a miscalculation. An error. A lapse in judgment. He was just supposed to leave an article he wrote at the Blue and Gold office but he was cornered by the one person he was avoiding the most.

"Juggie… can we talk?" He froze. He saw her enter the room and heard the door click, signaling it being locked.

"Are you going to keep me here if I say no?" Betty bit her lip and shook her head no. He wanted so badly to talk to her, to end his punishment of staying away from her. But no, he didn't deserve a second chance from her. He didn't deserve to talk to her, look at her or even share the same space with her. It was just too much.

He was supposed to leave already but then Betty touched his arm and it set him on fire.

"Juggie please. Talk to me." She pulled him to face her, her hand never leaving his arm. Jughead could feel the intensity of her touch and it felt like going crazy. He really wanted this feeling to go away so that he can return to his normal life. He was tired of feeling so much with just one touch from Betty. He was tired of raging heartbeats whenever she walks inside the room. He was tired of seeking her voice out whenever they are in a crowd or in a group. He was tired of his eyes being able to spot her in a sea of people almost too immediately. He was just plain tired. Jughead just wished he could go back to being nonchalant about Betty and just treat her like how he treats Veronica or the other girls in school.

But it was already too late. He knew he was already too much reeled in to escape. It seems, he was too invested in her to actually pull back.

"I can't Betty. My conscience won't let me." He said.

"No, no. Please. Don't blame yourself. I don't. It's not your fault. You were teaching me a lesson. You didn't intend to hurt me. It was an accident." Jughead was surprised to hear the desperation in Betty's voice as if he was like water, slowly slipping away from her grasp. "Please Juggie. I don't want to lose you. I can't lose you anymore."

Jughead closed his eyes. Oh how he wished she had meant it like how he would've wanted her to mean it. He could hear his heart beating faster and faster by the second. He wished Betty knew just how much she's affecting his whole well-being. "Betts, you're being too nice. I was really at fault. I'm a monster. I'm the worst. You don't deserve a horrible friend like me. I don't know how to forgive myself for hurting you like that."

"You're not a monster. You're the only one I can speak to about anything Juggie. Please don't make me lose my best friend." Her eyes were filled with tears, nose red with crying.

And in that moment, Jughead knew whatever Betty asked of him, he would go to the ends of the earth just to give it – even if he was nothing more than a best friend in her eye.

"I just… don't trust myself around you anymore." He said, his resolve was wavering slowly.

"Please Juggie." She intertwined her fingers with his and squeezed his hand. Jughead closed his eyes and just decided to feel her. Feel her hands in his. Feel her emotions flow in as she squeezed his hand. Feel the desperation in her voice. Feel the breath that she held as she waited for his answer. He wanted to just feel.

He wanted time to stop. He wished to stay in this moment forever – a moment where she wasn't in love with him but she couldn't let him go. A moment where he was valued, wanted and cared for. He no longer desired for her to love him. He would be content with her being always there – even if it meant as only a friend. The silent acceptance of the painful truth that he might never go past the best friend role lingered at the back of his mind. And honestly, he just stopped caring. He just wanted her to be present in his life all the time like she wanted him in hers right now.

"Okay." He felt her relief when she finally breathed out a sigh. "I really am sorry for what happened Betts. I hope you see my sincerity in saying that."

He was surprised when she held his face and raised it to look at her. "I forgive you Juggie. So please, forgive yourself."

She was so close – too close that it was already clouding his mind so he pulled away from her and walked over to one of the other tables. He was trying to calm his heart down. It felt like he was having a heart attack. He needed a diversion.

"Are we still on in questioning Doiley?" He wanted to change the subject as it was starting to get more awkward.

"Yeah. Can he go here now?" Desperate Betty was gone and had been replaced by Serious Betty who has set her mind to finding out Jason's murderer.

"I'll go get him." He said, smiling at her for the first time since their fall out.

Betty watched as Jughead left the room. She sighed in relief. She was so glad that he had agreed to be friends with her again. She was happy to have her best friend back. She didn't know what to do if he had decided to never speak to her again.

In all honesty, Betty thought it really was the end of their friendship when he started to avoid her. She was prepared to ask for the help of their friends to talk Jughead into putting what happened behind them but she knew that Archie and Veronica would ask way too many questions and might not come into terms with what happened if she did. She didn't want her friends to think badly of Jughead.

Betty wondered as well what triggered Jughead into doing such thing. She knew initially that it was to teach her a lesson. To show her that no matter how strong her will was, she couldn't overpower the physical strength of any guy. What she didn't understand was what he did after – when his lips had almost… Even the memories of it sends shivers to her spine.

It's not that she felt disgusted by the thought of it. She did like him first pre-Archie. She just couldn't believe it that he was so close to kissing her. As far as she knew, Jughead Jones wasn't interested in anyone so it was surprising that he had shown even an inch of attention. Betty knew that she shouldn't put meaning to it as Jughead does things in his own strange disposition. She never did quite know what goes on in the mind of a Jughead Jones.

A few minutes later, Jughead comes in bringing Dilton Doiley who looked anxious as hell. He was sweating and kept on tugging at his clothes. Betty would've let him go out of pity but she couldn't pass the opportunity to understand what happened on July 4th. Her thirst for solving the mystery won over her pity for the boy.

"Hi Dilton. I believe you have something to tell us." She said in a nice manner – just to compensate for the emotions they are bringing out of him.

"I already told you what I know. We didn't-" he started.

"Save it for someone who will believe your lies Doiley. We know the truth. You fired the gunshot. Why did you keep it from Sheriff Keller?" Jughead snapped, his stance in a commanding manner. Betty was surprised to see how engrossed he was in this and it made her stomach flutter for some odd reason.

She walked near Jughead and put her hand on his arm to signal that she would take it from here. By the looks of it, Doiley might have fainted out of anxiety if Jughead decided to question him any further.

"It's okay Dilton. You can tell us." She coaxed.

"What if I tell you something better? You can leave me out of whatever article you're trying to publish." He moved to the edge of his seat.

Betty and Jughead looked at each other in silent agreement then nodded at Doiley.

"I saw something at Sweetwater River that the others don't know about." He lowered his voice as if fearing someone else could hear him. "Ms. Grundy's car. She was at Sweetwater river on July 4th. I don't know why but I saw her car by the river's edge."

Jughead felt like he was splashed with cold water on his whole body. He glanced at Betty and he wasn't surprised to see a baffled expression on her face. He knew the cogs in her mind were going into overdrive and it wouldn't take long for her to put two and two together. He caught her arm when she gasped. She turned to him, a questioning look plastered on her face. He shook his head lightly as if saying not now Betty, and she received his message well.

"Thank you for that Dilton. As promised, we won't publish you in the paper." She said softly.

"Can I go now?" He stood as if his butt was burned by the chair.

"Go. Quick." Jughead shooed him away and then turned to face Betty who was now lost in thought. He leaned quietly on the table, waiting for her to fire the first question. She sighed many times as if finding it difficult to accept what she had just learned. He was hesitant to break her thoughts. He didn't know what question she was going to ask first. Sure enough, she would've figured out the connection with Archie and Ms. Grundy and he dreaded the moment that he would see her in pain because of it. He knew he had to be there when it happened.

She lifted her head and glanced at him. "Juggie, did you know?" Her voice was so soft that he could feel it took a large amount of effort for her to voice it out. "Did you know about Archie and Ms. Grundy?"

Jughead didn't expect her to ask him that question. He expected that she would ask him how long has it been going on or what does Archie see in her. He even expected her to ask if Grundy was taking advantage of Archie. But he never expected that she would construct her question in a way that almost sounded like she was accusing him of hiding the information from her – almost as if he betrayed her.

"Betts I…" Betty didn't wait for Jughead to finish. She grabbed her bag and walked out of the Blue and Gold office. If she wanted answers, she needed to get it directly from Archie. She searched for him at the football team's training but according to his teammates, he didn't show up for practice.

She went to the music room – praying so hard that she would catch him alone and not with their music teacher. She did find him – but with the last person she wanted to see.

"Betty. What are young here?" Archie looked agitated. He looked guilty. He looked like he was caught red handed. It wasn't as if Betty had caught them in a compromising situation. It was just that, these past few days, with Jason Blossom's murder lingering over their heads, everyone has become distressed.

"Can we talk, Archie?" She said in a controlled voice that took every strength in her body to produce.

"We're kind of in the middle of our tutoring session Betty. Catch you later at Pop's?" He offered a small smile to which Betty nodded.

"Sure. See you later." She glanced at Ms. Grundy and saw how the older woman couldn't meet her eyes. Betty knew the woman felt guilty. She didn't want to think what she was particularly guilty of. She was just sure she couldn't stomach the thought that Archie was probably having an affair with their teacher.

Betty's head was swirling. She wanted to pry Archie away from the claws of Geraldine Grundy. She wanted Archie to see what was happening – that she was probably at least 10 years older than him, at a minimum, and that what they're doing was against the law. She was coming up with ways on how her friend can be saved from the exposure, but knowing Archie Andrews, he would put himself in front of Grundy just to protect her. She can imagine that he would grab the keyboard from them and type how he was very much involved in every step of the way.

The day went by fast for Betty. It was like she had been on auto-pilot mode. She checked her phone for any sign of communication from Archie but there was none therefore she assumed that he didn't bail out on her. Upon seeing the blank screen of her notification panel, she couldn't help but wonder why it felt like she was missing something.

"Jughead!" She wondered what had happened to her dark haired friend. She quickly dialed his number and it rang a few times before he picked up.

"Juggie, where are you?" She asked.

"At the Drive-In." He said. Betty was surprised for the emotion – or lack thereof rather, in his voice.

"Can you meet me at Pop's?" She didn't know why but she crossed her fingers in anticipation.

"Sure." He replied shortly.

"Okay, bye." She quickly went home to change and went straight to Pop's. She's lucky her parents are not yet home so she didn't have to deal with their questions.

She arrived at Pop's within a few minutes and spotted her dark haired friend all by himself. He looked like he was in a deep thought and his fingers were fidgeting.

"Something wrong?" She said as soon as she walked to his side. Betty was surprised by the careful look on Jughead's face - as if he was calculating his next moves before he actually responds.

"Are you still mad at me?" Betty was shocked at the question thrown at her. She didn't recall getting mad at Jughead so she wondered why her friend would think so.

"What made you think I'm mad?" She sat next to him in the booth and her gaze at him grew more intense. Jughead felt tense at their proximity, constantly reminding his stupid heart to calm down.

"Um, because you walked out on me when I tried to explain how I knew about… Archie and - "

"Oh! I wasn't mad Juggie. I'm sorry for letting you think such. I was just lost in thought and I wanted to get the answers directly from Archie that's why I left." She held his hand and squeezed it tightly. "I'm not sure if I can be mad at you."

Betty smiled sheepishly while Jughead desperately tried to hide his reddening ears under his crown beanie.

"Well that's settled then." He said to break off the tension between them.

"Betty? Jughead? What are you two doing here?" Both turned their heads to see their friend Kevin Keller, Veronica Lodge trailing a few steps behind.

"Just having our dose of Pop's Milkshake and burgers." Jughead answered.

"Well can we join?" Veronica piped in and pushing Kevin to sit across the two and scooting next to him.

"Feel free." Jughead rolled his eyes and smirked.

"Hey Jughead, I heard the drive in was closing. Aren't you working part time there?" Kevin opened.

Jughead had hoped that they wouldn't open that can of worms. He had his secrets he couldn't divulge at the moment.

"I know. They're tearing it down because some anonymous buyer purchased the land and the town doesn't have enough money to maintain it." He spat out bitterly. Betty couldn't help but notice the shift in her friend's mood.

"Anonymous? Who cares about buying that piece of land?" Veronica interjected.

"I care! And it's not just because I'm losing my job. It's about the memories that this town has of that drive-in." He answered heatedly.

Betty was a bit lost in thought. She was busy coming up with ways on how to confront Archie about him and Grundy. She was worried that her red headed friend would ditch her on the last minute.

"In the world of Netflix and HBO, who watches there anymore?" Veronica said.

"People who buy crack." Kevin filled in before laughing, earning a slap in the arm from Veronica.

"Well there's cinephiles. And car enthusiasts. Right Betts?" Jughead took a side glance at Betty when he noticed she wasn't joining the conversation.

"Umm yeah, totally." She said before sipping in her Milkshake. She looked at her watch and saw that it was almost 8pm and yet her friend was still nowhere to be seen. She should've agreed on a time with him.

Veronica noticed the constant looks Betty shot at her watch. Usually, Betty was the most passionate when it comes to issues like these but for some reason, their blonde friend was not up for it.

"You all should come on closing night. I was thinking of showing American Graffiti. Or is that too obvious?" Jughead said.

"I vote for anything starring Audrey Hepburn. Or Cate Blanchett." Veronica added.

"Or The Talented Mr. Ripley?" Kevin said. "Betty? Your choices?"

Both Kevin and Veronica looked expectantly at Betty who seemed to snap out of her thoughts.

"Betty, you okay?" Veronica asked.

"Yeah, I was just thinking, maybe Rebel without a Cause?" She looked at Jughead and he nodded in agreement.

The door to Pop's sounded and Betty turned to see the boy she was waiting for come in with his dad and… the woman she wanted to see the least.

She thought they were going to talk? Why did Archie bring her here?

She was about to get up from her seat and when Jughead caught her arm. "Betts, I don't think now is the right time." He whispered. He saw the curious looks from Veronica and Kevin but he paid them no mind.

"I'll be right back." She pulled her hand and walk towards Archie and his companions.

Jughead faced the questioning looks on Veronica and Kevin's face. "Don't ask." He said.

"What's going on?" The ever so persistent brunette girl asked. "Is it about me?"

"I have a strong inkling. And no. Also I'd let it go." He said.

"Ah yes but that's you and I'm me. So you do you. Be right back." She bounced out of her seat and followed Betty and Archie outside the diner.

"Seriously, I cannot remember what it was like before she came here." Kevin piped in.

Jughead cast nervous glance outside. If there's one thing he didn't want out of their conversation, it would be a hurt Betty. He knew he could only do so much to protect her from knowing the painful truth.

"You like Betty, don't you?" Jughead snapped his attention to Kevin. He had a knowing smile on his face. It wasn't really a question. It was more of, telling Jughead that he knew his secret. What he would do with it, he had no clue.

"Don't worry. I won't tell. It's not my secret to tell." He said.

"I don't plan on telling it either. I know she won't return my feelings. Out of pity, she might but to sincerely return it? I doubt it. Besides, I'm contented with being on the sidelines." He rubbed the back of his neck, an indication of his growing discomfort.

"Yeah, you're saying that now, but how long can you stand on the sidelines? What happens when she gets her own boyfriend? What happens when she and Archie get together?"

Jughead knew that was a discussion he was not yet ready to face. It would be his pandora's box that he would never want to open. For now, he's happy to shove the thought at the farthest and deepest part of his brain, locked up in a room and key thrown away.

"I'll cross the bridge when I get there." He responded. He had a more pressing matter to attend to given that the Drive-In was closing. He had to find somewhere else to live.

* * *

When Betty heard about the drive-in closing, she wondered why it meant so much to her dark haired friend. Out of all the people she knew, it was Jughead who was affected by it the most. At first she thought it was because he was losing his part-time job. She knew things weren't too great for the Jones' especially after his father lost his job at Andrews' Construction. She thought, maybe Jughead was just trying to help out with their finances or something. She never guessed it would've been something deeper than that.

Betty puts the blame on being too preoccupied with convincing Archie to end whatever he had with Grundy. She did a lot of research on the mysterious "Jennifer Gibson" and broke into her car just to prove that she was living a double life. It had taken Betty's mom who confronted Archie's dad for their "music teacher" to pack her bags and leave Riverdale for good. Betty thought she had it way too easy for someone who should be charged with statutory rape. But as part of the bargain that Betty's mom gave, they won't expose anything so long as the woman left town.

When things got back into perspective, she overheard Fred Andrews talking to Archie about Jughead. Apparently, Jughead talked to him about putting the demolition of the drive in on hold. By the words of Fred Andrews, Jughead seemed "desperate" about it that he even tried convincing Mayor McCoy. But their hands were tied by the deal with the anonymous buyer so they had nothing they can do to help the youngest Jones out.

Betty, on the other hand, found Jughead's determination to keep the drive-in open to be a bit too much. If he was just upset about losing his job, he wouldn't have talked to Mayor McCoy or Fred Andrews. No, he would've just found a new job and moved on like normal people. Betty knew something was not in sync and she was out to find out just what.

She texted Jughead to meet her at the Blue and Gold office early morning after the Twilight Drive-In's closing night. His replies were short and void of any clue as to what the boy was going through. Curious and determined Betty took over and she patiently waited for her best friend to make his appearance.

He looked worse than she had imagined. Jughead's eye bags were so deep and dark that he looked sick. He looked like he hadn't had a good night's rest for quite a while.

"Juggie.." Betty immediately came to where he was standing and reached out to his face. An action that made the taller boy incredibly tense.

"Hey, sorry I didn't get much sleep last night." He pulled away from her touch and sat on the desk, toying with a stress ball. "So what's up? Why did you call me here?"

"Game time, Chip." She said, trying to lighten up the tension.

He smirked at her and crossed his arms. He knew she was going to ask about the drive in. He knew she was going to find out that he had been living there for quite some time now. He just hoped he could buy a bit more time before he had to admit everything to her.

"The floor is yours Dale." He said.

"Why are you so affected by the Drive in closing?" Her eyes softened and her hand kept moving.

He thought of a memory way back when things haven't been off the wagon with his family. He recalled the drive in being a safe haven for him when his family would go on a movie night every Saturday. He knew it was one way for him to delay his disclosing the real reason for worrying about the drive in. It wasn't a complete lie. Just not the complete truth.

"Have you ever loved something so much that you would do anything just to keep it safe?" He answered. He hadn't meant to answer her question with another but it was needed.

"No fair, you haven't answered mine." She said softly.

"Trust me, I'll bring light to it later." He said.

Betty stopped to think for a moment. She'd like to think that she had loved Archie so much that she would give up anything but that wasn't entirely true. Sure she loved Archie but somehow, things were moving forward for her and she knew that if she had been that crazy about him, it wouldn't have been so easy to do so. Not that it wasn't hard but, she just expected it to be a little harder than what she had experienced. Though she can't be too sure about it since it's just fresh after all.

"No, I don't think I have yet." She said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Don't." She was surprised when he said it but she understood what he meant by it. He didn't want her feeling bad for not yet finding that thing she wanted the most.

"And you? Are you gonna answer my question?" He smiled at her impatience.

"It was the drive-in for me. It reminds me of a time when my family was happy. A time when Jellybean and I would hide in the trunk because we couldn't pay the full entrance fee. We'd only get out once dad parks the car and we'll enjoy the movie." He said, a soft smile graced his tired features.

"That's why it's so important to me. It's my last piece of hope, a reminder that we can go back to the way it was before. As long as the drive-in stands, there's hope for my family to be whole again." He said.

Betty touched his arm and rubbed it back and forth. She wanted to tell him she was there. That she will always be there no matter what. She wanted to promise him that she would always have his back and support him in everything he wants. She wanted to reassure him that people might come and go in his life, but she, Betty Cooper, will always be there to stay.

She wanted to. But why couldn't she?

She settled for the silence that enveloped them. She had hoped that her emotions would reach him and he would know the unspoken promises that she repeatedly said in her mind. She hoped the warmth of her hand was enough to comfort his exhausted mind. Because for now, all she could give was a rub on his arm.

Betty Cooper had settled in her bed that night feeling a few steps closer to her best friend Jughead Jones. She knew that their friendship was growing stronger by each question that passes them. She knew it had been the right decision to play this 21 questions game as it shed a new light to the things they didn't know before.

She was about to let sleep overcome her when a small voice rang in her head.

 _There's hope for my family to be whole again._

Betty's mind worked double time as it processed Jughead's statement. There were signs. No – it was the lack of signs that became the ultimate sign. She never saw Mrs. Jones or Jellybeans since… since… she had actually forgotten when. She had rarely seen FP Jones hang out with Jughead unlike the old times. It was always Jughead sitting alone at a booth at Pop's. It was always Jughead working part-time at the Twilight.

Betty couldn't believe how she didn't see it before. Her best friend had kept it from her and she couldn't blame him. If she had taken better notice of it, maybe he would've opened up about it more.

She decided to call it a night and let sleep take over her. She would have to have a conversation with Jughead about his family situation.

When he's ready.


End file.
